The idea of Voicingers was born in 2007 in the Upper Silesian town of Żory, Poland. A year later, in a world overrun by the great economic crisis, the first edition of Voicingers took place in the form of the International Jazz Competition for Singing Musicians. This fact, seemingly irrelevant, defined the spirit of the festival, both in terms of organization and the art it was to present.
Dealing with challenges, the ability to see them as inspirations and not as obstacles has become the litemotive of all the festival’s activities. It is thanks to the difficulties, and not in spite of them, that the festival has been able to grow and expand. Our concerts and educational activities already reached audiences in ten countries in Europe and Asia. The festival serves music, its admirers and the musicians themselves, cultivating in them the awareness that the hunger for experiencing live interactions, the satisfaction of which can be achieved by gathering around music as one of the oldest forms of creating a sense of community among people, is priceless and therefore requires care.
In the professional dimension, the festival supports the idea of experienced and established musicians working with those whose artistic path has just begun. In the spiritual dimension, Voicingers works for the benefit of those who see life as an art form, for whom a creative approach to all one does is an indispensable condition to feel satisfied in this journey through life full of mysteries.
Within its idea of drawing inspiration from the cooperation between international artistic communities and representatives of sometimes extremely different cultures, the Voicingers Festival:
– organizes the International Jazz Challenges for Singing Musicians – a form of presentation of jazz vocalists started in 2008 in Żory, Upper Silesia, under which the most interesting performers are offered one-time financial support for the advancement of their careers and cooperation with the Voicingers festival.
– educates young musicians through Voicingers workshops. Breathing techniques, improvisation, rhythmic issues, relaxation, playing in bands, singing in choirs, but also the broadly understood ability to accept the unexpected and act without a plan are the topics on which the workshops for vocalists and instrumentalists focus. Our classes are intended for professional musicians as well as enthusiasts and amateurs. The workshops are run by a group of international, active artists.
– creates performing opportunities for a new generation of musicians. Voicingers Showcase, organized in cooperation with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, is a three-day meeting for musicians and professionals from the jazz industry.
– builds a platform for international cooperation between musicians, promoters, journalists, labels, festivals, jazz competitions and clubs – intercultural exchange of ideas through a musicia
